The present disclosure relates to a frame converting method for communication relay between an automotive Controller Area Network (CAN) communication network device and a Modbus communication device, i.e. one of industrial field buses, and a protocol converting gateway device using the same.
Recently, automobile-related electronics industries are growing rapidly. Also, various demands on information and multimedia playback, engine control, emission control, artificial intelligence, a safety system for controlling the safety of air bags, and an automotive system are continuously being increased.
Accordingly, in order to provide an efficient automotive system, a network bus structure that supports various functions and reduces additional dedicated lines for each function is required.
For the purpose of providing the network bus structure, automobile manufacturers require a protocol that provides a high-bandwidth, flexible, and deterministic operation. Recently, various protocols that define a wiring structure and a communication protocol of a top-level system are used recently for mechanical or electrical parts of vehicles. Among the various protocols, a CAN protocol is the most representative protocol.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration view of a typical CAN communication 11 between a vehicle 10, i.e. a CAN communication network device, and an external device 13.
Referring to FIG. 1, the vehicle 10 typically includes an interface OBD terminal 15 for the external CAN communication 11. When the external device 10 executes an application program 14 in order to communicate with the vehicle 10, a CAN module 12 is required as a physical communication converter for the CAN communication 11. That is, in order to communicate with the vehicle 10 by using the application program 14 in an external PC or a notebook computer, the CAN module 12 compatible with the CAN communication 11 of the vehicle 10 is required.
The above related art technique does not have limitations in a general automotive network CAN communication, but is not compatible with an external network due to the extension of a network communication range when communication is made with an external device using a protocol other than a CAN communication protocol.
When communication is made with an external device using a protocol other than a CAN communication protocol, a related art technique should use the same type of a protocol as the CAN communication of a vehicle, and also use external software according thereto. However, since such external software is often programmed based on another protocol other than a CAN communication protocol, Modbus, which is the most frequently used for industrial products, has no compatibility with the CAN. Therefore, software modifications and hardware changes or network changes of typical vehicles are required for new CAN communication.